Introduction
VOIP is an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. In ln more common terms it simply means making phone calls over the Internet. If you have a reasonable quality Internet connection you can get your phone service delivered to you through your Internet connection instead of from your local phone company. Practically speaking, you need to have a high speed or broadband internet connection to make it feasible.
Some people use VOIP in addition to their traditional phone service. That's because even though VOIP service providers usually offer lower rates than the traditional phone companies, they sometimes don't offer full 911 service, phone directory listings, 411 service, etc. This is something you need to check out with the company you investigate.
Why It Is Free
Because VoIP is digital, it may offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone. If you have a broadband internet connection, you need not maintain and pay the additional cost for a line just to make telephone calls.
In general phone service via VOIP costs less than equivalent service from traditional sources. This is largely a function of traditional phone services either being monopolies or government entiities. There are also some cost savings due to using a single network to carry voice and data. This is especially true when users have existing under-utilized network capacity that they can use for VOIP without any additional costs.
With many VoIP plans you can talk for as long as you want with any person in the world (the requirement is that the other person has an Internet connection). You can also talk with many people at the same time without any additional cost.
Most VOIP companies charge a monthly rate, and while it may initially seem high, remember it includes long distance calling. While it is feasible to make VOIP calls directly from your computer using a headset or a microphone along with your speakers, it is not extremely practical. SO most VOIP providers include a device that connects to your computer which allows you to use a regular phone. This is by far the easiest way to use VOIP, but it does require a VOIP service provider.
The easiest way to find a VOIP provider is to do an internet search and compare the offers of different companies.